Extension-table.



A. DE KUBBER.

EXTENSION TABL-E.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1|, 1910.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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ATTORNEY cnLuMmA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON. n. c.

A. DE KUBBER.

EXTENSION TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN= |1,1910.

Patented Au 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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C0,. WASHINGTON, D. C.

para srra rn GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO CYRUS W. RICE, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

ABRAHAM DE KUBBER, or

EXTENSION-TABLE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ABRA AM DEKUB'BER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Extension-Tables, of which the following is a specification.

Extension tables, as in common use, are made with a central divisible supporting standard which may be in the form of a pedestal, apparently unitary when closed, but really composed of separable halves, or may be in the form of a group of legs united by suitable structures, which group of legs is separable into half groups, and in either case there may orv may not be a central supporting supplementary leg or member. It is now common to provide mechanism by which the separable halves of the table top will open away from each other, each half sliding upon the adjacent portion of the support, but without separating the halves of the supporting member. In this way the two halves of the table top may be withdrawn from each other far enough to insert one or two or three leaves, as'may be desired; and whenever the table top members in this separating motion reach the predetermined limit, they make permanent engagement with the respective corresponding portions of the pedestal or leg member, and then as the se arating movement is continued, the portions of the supporting mem ber also separate. One of the objections to this style of table has been that, inasmuch as the table top members slide freely in either direction upon their supporting membersup to a certain limit of motion, there can be no assurance that when one or two leaves are thus inserted (if, for example, the construction provides for only three leaves) these inserted leaves. will be centralized or equalized with reference to the standard, so that the center of the top will be over the center of the standard. On the other hand, the center of the top may be at one side of the center of the standard to the full limit of this permitted preliminary motion, and thus the table is not only objectionable in appearance, but much more subject to tilting or capsizing. when the parts of the supporting member are separated and the table farther extend ed, until both halves of the top are with- Specification of Letters Patent.

The same situation exists Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Application filed January 11, 1910. Serial no. 537,580.

drawn to their respective farther limits of, motlon upon their supporting halves.

It is the ob ect of this invention to provide especially simple, economical and eiiijcient means for centralizing or equalizing the table top upon the table support and at all 1 and 9. represent the respective separable halves of the table top, and 3- 3 represent the inserted leaves, which, in this instance, are two in number. Eh'e usual arrangement of slides by which the table may be opened is shown by 1, 5, (3, 7 and 8, th'e'se slides being duplicated upon opposite sides of the table.

Slides 4 4e are permanently and rigidly attached to table topmember 1, and slides 5 5 are sim larly attached to table top member 2.

The supporting part consists of the divisi-j ble pedestal 1212, carrying at its top brackets, or similar-supports 13 and also the cross supports 11 11, which may, in this form of constructiombe considered as bridges, and wl'iicl'i,,together, constitute one bridge divisible down the center line, each part being permanently attached to thecorresponding' The part of the pedestal and brackets. slides 6 and 8 are permanently attached respectively to these bridgesll', the slides 6 6 being attached, for example, tothe left hand bridge 11, and the slides 8 8 to the right hand bridge 11. 9 is a spring stop pin of the construction shown in Fig.3, the essential point beingfthat it may be by suitable pressure held down flush with the top of the piecein which it is inserted, and that, when, relieved from pressure, 1t will spring up, as

shown in Fig. 3. It is desirable to make the edges beveled or rounded, asshown, so that a suitablv edged board or leaf coming up against it horizontally, will automatically throw it down into its surface flush position. I bevel or turn the lower meeting edges of the top members 1 and 2, either throughout their whole length or at the parts where thevcome in contact with these pins 9.

In the form of extension table shown in the drawings,-I insert four of these stop pins respectivelyiin the four slides 66 and 8 8,

and at points respectively above the centers of the bridges 11, all as shown in Fig.1,

although the duplication of these pins at each end of the leaf is unnecessary. In fact only one pin 9 properly located as in the position of any one of the pins 9 would suffice to effect variouspurposes of my invention, 'as' hereinafter described, These pins may be very simply and easily inserted by providing a'pin, springand casing in theform shown in Fig. 3, boring suitable holes inthe tops of the slides 6 and 8, and

, inserting the spring pins and casings therein. The pins will then project above the tops'of the slides as indicated by the single pin shown in Fig. 2. In order to provide in the lower surface of the leaves suitable motion of the leaf longitudinally of itself is otherwise prevented, I find it convenient to make these engaging sockets in the form of grooves, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and marked 10 10. It is also important that these sockets should engage with the co-rre spending pin either upon slide 6 orjslide 8, according as the leaf may be placed, and the groove, long enough to cover the location of both pins, accomplishes this result more efiiciently than could be done by undertaking to use separate independent sockets properly located and spaced, although the samevresult could be accomplished by the latter means. It would be sufficient to accomplish the purpose if I provided two of the inserted leaves out of the entire set of such leaves with these sockets or grooves 10 10 upon the under surface of each and toward the outer end of each; but it'is more convenient to fit up in this way all the leaves of the set so that the equalizing device will operate whatever leaves may happen to be used. By providing two such grooves or sets of sockets in the under part of each end of each leaf, I provide for locking the top centrally on the support, no matter whether one or more leaves are inserted. In the form shown in Fig. 1 there are two leaves and the right hand socket 10 in the left hand leaf, and the left hand socket 10 in the right hand leaf, engage with the spring plns which are respectively located in. slides 6 and 8. The sockets being properly spaced with reference to the 'meeting edge of the V I inserted leaves and the center-of the table support, it will follow that the leaves meet at exactly the center of the support, and, inasmuch as the slides 6 and 8 are attached to the closed support and'can not move, and

as the leaves 8 3 are thus respectivelylocked to the slides 6 and 8,, the inserted leaves can not'move and no force exerted upon either side of the table top can shift the top from its centralized position. 1 Evidently a pushing force, for example,v exerted against the top member could have no effect, and a pulling force would accomplish nothing excepting to withdraw the members 1 and 2 from their respective adjacent "leaves; and the limit of such separation permitted by the construction being sufficient, a leaf or leaves r may be inserted between each table top member 1 or 2 and its (previously) adjacent leaf i and if the same'number 'of 'leaves of the 7 same width are inserted on eacl1,'side ,"the entire table top will continue to be centralized with reference to its supports. It will be understood that the'beveled lower edges of the top members 1 andZ and of the removable leaves 3 will depress the spring pins 9 when 'such edges engage them," but that the vertical walls of the grooves lO-Will not do so.

If, now, it is desired to have one leaf only I inserted, I remove any such newly inserted leaves and also the right hand leaf 3 and lift slightly the left hand leaf 3 and cause the'left hand socket "10 therein to engage with pin 9 upon slide 6, or, what accom- I plishes the same result,cause the right hand socket to engage withpin 9 on slide 8. In

this construction the pins and grooves are so spaced that both of these engagements will result. The single leaf is thereupon locked with its center directly over the center of the support, andbyclosing up the two top members the table top is then centralized with one leaf. 7

It is understood that there is. the usual dowel engagement between leaves and top. I membersand between ad acent leaves.

If the top members are opened somewhat farther than is shown in Fig. 1 soas to in-' sert three leaves, and ifthe construction permits this opening without dividing the support, the central one of the three leaves will then be located in position and looked as has been described with reference to one leaf; and, if'the central leaf is thus locked,

it is not important that the leaf upon each side should bewlo cked, since motion ofthe top upon the base is prevented by the en gagement of the central leaf alone. Indeed, in the form of construction described, where the space taken by three inserted leaves constitutes the maximum space which can be-had by withdrawing the top members upon their supporting members without dividing the support, the locking device of this invention is not so important because the top will be centralized of necessity. It will be seen that if an equal number of leaves of the same width be inserted between the top members 1 and 2 and the central leaf, the entire top will continue to be centralized.

The slide 7 is the slide, or may represent the slides, which come into use when the divisible support is separated and which then cooperate with slides 6 andS to permit extension. If now the divisible support be separated that the full extension of the table may be attained, the right hand leaf 3 may be positioned by engaging its left hand groove with the pins 9 on the right side of the table, and the left hand leaf 3 positioned by engaging its right hand groove with the pins 9 on the left side of the table, as shown in Fig. 1. It is apparent that any number of leaves of any width (within the limits permitted by the construction) may be inserted between these leaves 3 when separated by separating the halves of the support, and when the table is closed on such inserted leaves, the entire table top will continue to be centralized over its support.

It is obvious that the respective locations of the spring pins and grooves should bear proper relation to each other and to the width of the inserted leaves and to the matter of the amount of motion permitted between slides 4L and 6, and between slides 5 and 8; but this is a matter of computation and adjustment. My drawing may be taken to illustrate a table in which each half top may be withdrawn from the center twelve inches; that is to say, in which slide 5 may travel upon slide 8 and slide 4 travel upon slide 6 a distance of twelve inches before engaging the limiting stop; in which the inserted leaves are each eight inches wide; in which the grooves or sockets 9 are located with their centers two inches from the edges of the leaf and two inches from the center line thereof; and in whiclrthe stop pins 9 are located with their centers two inches from the point which is over the center line of the support when the slides 6 8 ar in their closed position.

A table may be planned so that the space between the two top members, when each is withdrawn as far as possible without opening the support, may be occupied by three narrower leaves, as I have described, or by two wider leaves, as, for example, by two twelve-inch leaves. If, for example, the leaves shown in Fig. 1 are supposed to be twelve inches wide, then, when the table is opened at full length, the two leaves 3 and 3 shown in the drawing would maintain the same positions shown in the drawings with reference to their adjacent top members and the space for additional leaves would be provided entirely between these two leaves shown in the drawings. The top will, then, of necessity, always be centralized.

If only one of the pins 9 is present (the other three shown being omitted), as if, for instance, the pin 9 toward the top and right of Fig. 1 only is present, then the right hand leaf may be positioned thereby as shown in that figure, and the left hand leaf may be laid against its edge in the position shown therein: or the left hand leaf may be removed and the right hand leaf moved to the left so that its right hand groove receives the pin.

- In the form of table which has a supplementary central supporting leg attached to certain of the slides, such supplementary leg often gets shoved away from the center of the table. If the spring pins are carried by this supplementary leg and its slides, the device herein described operates also to centralize such supporting leg, as is obvious from the description.

It is well to make the grooves or sockets 1O slightly wider than the diameter of the pins 9 so as to allow for slight shrinking or swelling, or for such slight play as may be desirable for other reasons.

I have shown the spring pin located in the slide and an engaging socket in the adjacent face of the leaf. I have selected this as perhaps the simplest and most efficient type of engaging means between slide and leaf; but the result which I accomplish by this, or other suitable means, is to make a practically automatic, but removable engagement, directly between the inserted leaf and the supporting parts, thereby locating and locking directly the thing to be centralized, instead of indirectly accomplishing the result through locking the table top member in a series of adjustable positions spaced with reference to the desired center. I do not find it necessary to manipulate any dog, or other device, so that it shall engage, when desired, and shall not engage until desired; but, as the inserted leaves are moved about over the spring pins, the weight of the leaf will hold the pin down flush with the surface of the slide, and it will usually be inoperative excepting when in proper position. The only adjustment that may be necessary will be a change from one socket engagement to the other, and this is ac complished by lifting the leaf very slightly and without any direct manipulation of the pin.

have shown and described this'invention as applied to an extension table with divisible support, but it is apparent that it may be applied as well to a table where the top is extensible upon a stationary and unitary support, and then all slides, excepting 4 and 5 and an intermediate or central slide carried by the support will be dispensed with and both the stop pins located in the central slide, or the parts might be otherwise rearranged, "as would be familiar to any table maker.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim to have invented, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.,In an extension table, a central support, a slide member carried thereby, two separable table-top members, each having a slide membercooperating with the supports 2. In an extension table, the combination of a support, relatively separable top members, slides carried by each member of the" top and slidably 3 related to the support, pins carried by said slides, and a removable leaf adapted to be placed between adjacent edges of the top members and having a plurality of sockets on its, under sideto engage the pins on diflerent slides and thereby lock such slides in position to centralize the leaf and top members relatively to saidsupport. In testimony whereofI havehereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. v i.

ABRAHAM DE KUBBER.

Witnesses: c

GEORGE A. Dav s,

MARY S. TOOKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the G'ommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. I 

